Triumphrat

Sprintster

greetings! you sound like a terrific bunch.

please allow me a brief intro: i currently own a '95 sprint that i dearly love. but the new tiger has caught my eye and i'm thinking seriously about upgrading to the relaxed ergos and new engine. i am also thinking about a V-Strom and the new Buell Ulysses.

i'm hoping you can help me out. i dearly love the three-cylinder engine--no doubt one of the sweetest engines out there. but ALL bikes have their weak points. can you help me identify the tiger's so that i can make an i nformed choice?

scanning the boards i note that some have raised concerns regarding:

1) wind buffeting (although various cures have been described)

2) top-heaviness (probably common to most dual sports due to high seats)

3) silencer/ECU upgrade ... sounds like the way to go, but does it pre-empt your warranties?

4) anything else? any mechanical areas that tend to give problems? how comfortable is the back seat (with top case/backrest) for passenger touring?

thanks very much. i appreciate any and all comments, both good and bad, on el tigre.

-gary

Diego

> 1) wind buffeting (although various cures have been described)

It's true that the aerodynamics are less optimum than on some other models, but only a very few people have ever found that to be a serious drawback.

> 2) top-heaviness (probably common to most dual sports due to high seats)

It's a higher center of gravity, but the feeling is not what I would call top heavy in the usual meaning of the word. You handle it a little differently in the twisties, but it's not something that takes a great deal of getting used to. And, you should be aware that I am speaking of 2004 and earlier when I say that. Beginning with the 2005 models, there's noticably less need to drop it into a turn.

> 3) silencer/ECU upgrade ... sounds like the way to go, but does it pre-empt your warranties?

No, although it will certainly void emission certification, if you have to have that checked periodically. Depending what you plan to use the bike for, spending the extra money may or may not yield any advantage for you, though.

> 4) anything else? any mechanical areas that tend to give problems?

It's a mature design that has been pretty well debugged by now. I am not aware of any chronic mechanical issues.

I'll have to let someone else address the effect of the top case on passenger comfort, as I only have the two-bag luggage on mine.

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John

chrisn

On behalf on my pillions I can recommend the Triumph topbox and backrest as being comfortable and secure. My passengers have included a broad spectrum of females unafraid to voice their true opinions ie: wife, sister, and daughter.
(still to get my mother onboard and maybe a girlfriend for the full set )

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Chris

pigpen955

Gary-

I cannot comment on the Buell (but if you go that route, please post your impressions here even if you are not a Tiger owner) but I do own both a Vstrom (650) and a Tiger (955).

I commute throughout the year in Maine and am prone to longish cruising excursions (>2500 mi in a week).

I am in the point-and-shoot school of riding so I don't like loud exhausts and use the stock system on both bikes.

Both bikes have a perfect reliability records although with significantly different total miles (Tiger = 30,000 miles, Vstrom = 3,500 miles).

I find the Tiger to be top heavy when compared to the Strom at low speeds (anyone that has not dropped a Tiger at low speeds is either much beefier than me or is about to). Once they both get to speed on twisties there is not much difference although the Tiger is better on bumpy roads (that is to say either will put a VERY big smile on your face). The Strom is better around town.

The Strom gets about 25% better gas mileage.

They both have equal amounts of wind buffeting, everyone has their own personal solutions to this.

The Tiger motor is significantly better than the Vstrom (competent but very peaky in comparison). I opine that the 1000 Strom motor would have more power than the 650 but still feel very peaky in comparison to the Tiger.

All things being equal, I choose to commute on the Vstrom and tour on the Tiger. However, I did commute on the Tiger for two years quite happily. If I need to run errands and pick some things up I take the Tiger even on a commuting day. I will likely use the Tiger when the weather gets significantly worse (better weather protection based on my windshield choices).

One other point I would liek to make is that the riding position on both bikes is spectacular, not least because of high up you are and the visibility that provides. This is something you need to live with for a while to appreciate.

I also use the Tiger to ride two up because my rider much prefers the passenger position (the motor is much better for it as well). The rear pegs on the Vstrom virtually force her to cuddle up to me and we are just friends and both of us feel a little uncomfortable with this. On the Tiger she is able to find many more comfortable positions.

Hope that is comprehensible and helps.

Fred

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No such thing as cold weather, just inappropriate clothing.

lonewolf

I have never ridden a vstrom but a couple of considerations for the tiger are the following: you will need either a chain oiler or centerstand to maintain the chain. you will need engine guards due to the top heaviness of the bike and the more than possibility you will drop it. I have a st1300 Honda and the 04 tiger and I love them both. I think I have the best of both worlds. The Buell if you read the write ups is very hot and very tall, much more so than the tiger. It is only a 5 speed and has a much smaller gas tank. If you really want to maximize your money buy a used tiger as they do not do very well on resale if you are the seller. Good luck on your purchase. Everett

whoa

I was checking out another Harley and really liked the Firebolt. Fate got me onto the Tiger for a test ride (yep, I'd already been on several Harleys) and that was that.

I'd have never made the purchase based on looks, but the ride was hands down the clencher. I hope you get a chance to get some miles on both the models before you make your purchase. Have fun shopping.

1) wind buffeting

It does that. I used to ride a bare naked Harley so I like wind in the face. I replaced the stock screen with a home fab sports screen which is much nicer for my taste.

2) top-heaviness

It is that. Hats off to those who do offroad. I've done a little, won't do anything beyond jeep trails. Better riders do quite well. I'm 5'10" and on some slopes it is a reach. When time comes, I'll upgrade the shock and get a little lower.

3) silencer/ECU upgrade

In my world, the 955i is more power than I need so no intent on upgrading.


4) anything else? any mechanical areas that tend to give problems? how comfortable is the back seat (with top case/backrest) for passenger touring?

I've had little aches and pains, cooling, water pump, and some air leak at the intake. Nothing I see as chronic to the model. Given the choice, I'd go tubeless rather than spokes.

Don't ride two up.

Like everyone else, I put engine guards on straight away. Besides new tires, that's about it. Haven't dropped it yet, but I'm about to. :-D

[ This message was edited by: whoa on 2005-10-11 19:04 ]

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2005 Thruxton
2000 Speed Triple

Sprintster

thanks very much for the input. i am grateful.

i can't imagine that the tiger is any more top-heavy than my BMW K1200LT, and i've never dropped that. i don't plan to do any serious off-roading on it.

it will be a tough decision. all three brands offer some distinct advantages. it is probably good advice to ride all three, but i don't think suzuki offers test rides as a matter of policy.

MikeinLA

Since you are comparing a few different "adventure bike" models, I would suggest you check out advrider.com . They are all about the V-Strom, Tiger, GS, Buell and more. You might find some good comparison threads there.

Mike

pigpen955

I have ridden an LT (not a 1200) and the a Tiger will give it a run for its money in terms of top-heaviness.

I had no trouble test riding the Suzuki, must be a dealer thing.

Fred

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No such thing as cold weather, just inappropriate clothing.

Sprintster

fred ... so reading between the lines you rode both and decided on the tiger. what sold you?

TIA.